as in corrupting
to lower in character, dignity, or quality
by insisting that she pay me for helping her, she subverted my noble desire to do a good deed without reward
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of subverting
All of it—having children because her husband wanted them, putting her career on hold to tend pear trees in a midwestern suburb—might come across as out of character for Smith, who spent her formative years subverting traditional gender roles.
—
Amy Weiss-Meyer, The Atlantic, 31 Oct. 2025
At a time when homages to retro Latin genres have become a cliché, Como Las Canto Yo succeeds by subverting expectations.
—Ernesto Lechner, Rolling Stone, 27 Oct. 2025
But Interview With the Vampire set a precedent for transformative TV from the Immortal Universe, its narrative and visual audacity subverting adaptation tropes and genre storytelling by challenging viewers’ notions of immortality, sexuality, and destiny.
—Roxana Hadadi, Vulture, 25 Oct. 2025
Below, Gray speaks with THR about life on the road, subverting the pressure of fans’ reaction to his music and finding his complete self recording his new music.
—Nicole Fell, HollywoodReporter, 10 Oct. 2025
Infiniti’s portrayal of Willa has drawn praise for subverting the trope of the damsel in distress, instead becoming her very own heroine in the tale.
—Clayton Davis, Variety, 8 Oct. 2025
The film examines how boundaries are inscribed and looks to plants as models for subverting systems of control.
—Matt Grobar, Deadline, 30 Sep. 2025
The Hacks star, 34, made a statement with her arrival to the Peacock Theater in Los Angeles, subverting the event's formal dress code.
—Catherine Santino, PEOPLE, 15 Sep. 2025
On the one hand, he has been accused of possibly subverting the rules to give his team an advantage over theirs.
—Chris Branch, New York Times, 10 Sep. 2025
Amy Weiss-Meyer, The Atlantic, 31 Oct. 2025
At a time when homages to retro Latin genres have become a cliché, Como Las Canto Yo succeeds by subverting expectations.
—Ernesto Lechner, Rolling Stone, 27 Oct. 2025
But Interview With the Vampire set a precedent for transformative TV from the Immortal Universe, its narrative and visual audacity subverting adaptation tropes and genre storytelling by challenging viewers’ notions of immortality, sexuality, and destiny.
—Roxana Hadadi, Vulture, 25 Oct. 2025
Below, Gray speaks with THR about life on the road, subverting the pressure of fans’ reaction to his music and finding his complete self recording his new music.
—Nicole Fell, HollywoodReporter, 10 Oct. 2025
Infiniti’s portrayal of Willa has drawn praise for subverting the trope of the damsel in distress, instead becoming her very own heroine in the tale.
—Clayton Davis, Variety, 8 Oct. 2025
The film examines how boundaries are inscribed and looks to plants as models for subverting systems of control.
—Matt Grobar, Deadline, 30 Sep. 2025
The Hacks star, 34, made a statement with her arrival to the Peacock Theater in Los Angeles, subverting the event's formal dress code.
—Catherine Santino, PEOPLE, 15 Sep. 2025
On the one hand, he has been accused of possibly subverting the rules to give his team an advantage over theirs.
—Chris Branch, New York Times, 10 Sep. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for subverting
Verb
-
But the church also taught that the power of music could be corrupting.—
Vann R. Newkirk II,
The Atlantic,
18 Oct. 2025
-
Tales From Beyond the Pale co-creator Glenn McQuaid unleashes a Jason Voorhees whose appearance is concealed not by a hockey mask but a squiggly blur of video noise, corrupting the handheld footage of him stalking college kids through the woods.—
A.A. Dowd,
Vulture,
3 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
The local politicians like Mayor Wu who are staying mum are just compounding cronyism and degrading the livability of the neighborhood.—
Lou Murray,
Boston Herald,
29 Oct. 2025
-
Rain, wind gusts, birds and other atmospheric surprises during low-altitude flight might alter the inflowing air to the cruise missile, degrading the reactor.—
Dan Vergano,
Scientific American,
28 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
That goes even further than DESI's hints at weakening dark energy.—
Robert Lea,
Space.com,
6 Nov. 2025
-
The central bank cut its benchmark rate for the second time this year at its most recent meeting, in part to help bolster the economy amid a weakening job market.—
Fortune,
Fortune,
5 Nov. 2025
Verb
-
Overdevelopment destroying our communities.—
Deputy News Editor,
MSNBC Newsweek,
31 Oct. 2025
-
Unless this is another ploy by women who are intent on destroying each other.—
Brian Moylan,
Vulture,
31 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
Relying on that representation, Trinity Broadcasting increased McGraw’s stake in Merit Street, via his production banner Peteski, to 70 percent while diluting its own stake to 30 percent.—
Winston Cho,
HollywoodReporter,
28 Oct. 2025
-
Thune took the step last month of allowing Trump officials to be approved in batches, essentially diluting the power of senators in the minority party to register their complaints.—
David Sivak,
The Washington Examiner,
24 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
The movie, adapted from Ariana Harwicz’s novel of the same name and following a new mother whose mental health starts deteriorating amid their isolated Montana surroundings, features one of Lawrence’s gutsiest, most visceral performances to date.—
David Canfield,
HollywoodReporter,
4 Nov. 2025
-
However, deteriorating or disturbed lead paint — through sanding or stripping — can create toxic dust that poses serious health hazards, particularly to children.—
Lucy Notarantonio,
MSNBC Newsweek,
4 Nov. 2025
Verb
-
Leawood police fielded nearly 400 food-poisoning complaints and conducted about 130 interviews, a volume that briefly crashed the department’s records system, according to the Johnson County Post, KSHB 41 and KCTV5.—
Christina Coulter,
PEOPLE,
28 Oct. 2025
-
Symptoms of salmonella poisoning Symptoms of salmonella poisoning usually start six hours to six days after swallowing the bacteria.—
Mary Walrath-Holdridge,
USA Today,
22 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
For decades, bartenders have been defaming the Mai Tai, debasing it, making and selling versions of the drink that were childish and incomplex, saccharine and flat.—
Jason O'Bryan,
Robb Report,
13 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Subverting.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/subverting. Accessed 7 Nov. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share